Public Adjuster Services

Our licensed public adjusters handle commercial and residential
insurance claims, guiding our clients through the complicated
process of preparing and settling their property damage
insurance claims. Our public adjusters work exclusively
for you, the policyholder, and never the insurance company.

We have offices in Southfield and Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Chicago, Illinois. We're experienced with the types of natural disasters that strike here, the companies that insure here, and how local claims are handled. We have the resources and expertise to thoroughly investigate your loss, accurately prepare, document and submit your claim, and get you a full, fair and expedited settlement.

For 90 years, Globe Midwest Adjusters International has been guiding clients through the unpredictable territory of preparing and settling insurance claims. In 1985 we, along with a group of leading public adjusting firms in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, foresaw the need for an international network of highly skilled public adjusters who could bring specific expertise to servicing any type of loss, anywhere, at any time. Adjusters International was the result.

The Team Concept

The most effective way to handle a catastrophic claim is to have two processes going on simultaneously:

The client, with our assistance if desired, should obtain anticipated costs for the actual work desired to be performed.

If you choose to make repairs "in-house," we will assist you in understanding the limitations of the insurance policy to assure your complete recovery, otherwise you may not receive payment for your full Replacement Cost Loss.

Should you elect to utilize an independent contractor, we can assist in assuring that you, and not the contractor, derive the optimum benefit from your claim.

At the same time;

GMAI will prepare a Scope of Damage and Cost of Repair in accordance with the terms and conditions of the insurance policy that would include:

Coordination and continued negotiations with the insurance company's adjuster and their hired experts on issues such as: Building, Business Interruption, Ordinance or Law Coverage, Landscaping, Debris Removal, Architectural, Engineering, etc.

Coordinate and control the insurance company's construction consultants to assure a proper scope of damage is assessed and agreeing on specific "unit" costs, subcontractors and a total claim valuation.

This will assure a timely and satisfactory settlement. Furthermore, it allows our clients, the insured, to know what a good settlement amount is and be prepared to select the appropriate recovery option prior to the settlement of the claim.

Meet the Globe Midwest Adjusters International Team

OurPublications

FeaturedNews

Frozen Pipes and Water Damage Claims

Water damage from an undetected leak can quickly cause considerable harm without warning to your home or business. Common causes of water damage are: Frozen or broken plumbing; ...

Water damage from an undetected leak can quickly cause considerable harm without warning to your home or business. Common causes of water damage are:

Frozen or broken plumbing; and

Leaking roofs or exterior walls.

The hours immediately following the discovery of water damage are critical to the restoration of your property and to the success of your insurance claim. You need to make certain that all of the damage is properly documented before you can start clearing out the affected property. Since mold and mildew can begin to form within 24-48 hours, starting the cleanup efforts should also be a top priority.

A few things you can do after a water damage loss occurs include:

Protect your property from further damage It’s your responsibility to perform emergency work such as putting up tarps, removing wet drywall and carpeting to prevent mold, and boarding up openings. In the best interest of your recovery, it is best to use a certified mitigation professional.

Beware of contractors asking you to sign a contract for non-emergency services Ideally you should not hire a contractor to repair your property until you have agreed on a repair/replacement scope of damage and an estimate of the pricing with your insurance company. Then you will know how much you have to spend on the reconstruction.

Document the damage Photograph the scene, including the “debris pile,” before you begin any cleanup efforts. When estimating damages, do not rely solely on your historical records. Instead, secure current replacement cost estimates.

Request a complete copy of your insurance policy Read and make sure you understand your rights and obligations under your insurance policy before entering into any serious discussions or negotiations with your carrier. Seek a claims professional to help you understand what your policy actually covers and, just as important, what it doesn’t.

Document all of your activities and expenses Keep a log of all activities and save all receipts after the damage, including those for property replacement and extra expenses.

Make decisions that are the best for the continuation of your business Policyholders often expect the insurance company to tell them what to do to save their business. Only you know your business and what’s best for your recovery.

Hire your own experts The insurance adjuster sent by your carrier to evaluate the damages is working for the insurance company, not for you. It’s your responsibility to document and submit your claim. Make sure you have someone who thoroughly knows property insurance claims on your side to ensure a full, fair and expedited settlement — while you concentrate on maintaining your operations.

The experts at Globe Midwest Adjusters International are here to help with both your recovery efforts and with your insurance claim. Our team is well versed in estimating damages and negotiating with insurance companies. Call us today at 800.445.1554 to see how we can be of assistance.

FeaturedArticle

Broken or Burst Pipes? Here’s What You Need to Know

With wintry weather comes ice skating, sledding… and frozen pipes? Water damage caused by bursting pipes can be extensive and expensive. Will insurance companies pay to repair this ...

With wintry weather comes ice skating, sledding… and frozen pipes? Water damage caused by bursting pipes can be extensive and expensive. Will insurance companies pay to repair this damage? Well, that depends on your policy.

Most homeowner policies will cover physical damage from water if it started from plumbing within the home under normal weather conditions. The plumbing repair for the broken pipe may not be covered according to the language in some policies, but all ensuing damage to the structure and contents are usually covered. However, although it is unusual to see, freezing pipes that burst within the home due to cold weather may be excluded under some policies — unless you can prove that heat was maintained in the home or building prior to the loss.

“Homeowners living in the Midwest and other cold areas of the country should talk to their agents to make sure that their policies include coverage for freezing pipes located both inside and outside of the home,” said Carl Gross, Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Globe Midwest Adjusters International. “If your home is not occupied when this happens, such as a vacation home or a vacant rental property, or if you don’t discover that a pipe in your yard has burst and the water seeps slowly into your home over a period of time, then the resulting damage and those repairs may not be covered by your insurance company.”

Gross notes that one of the biggest risks when it comes to bursting pipes is that the water may not be discovered promptly and mold may grow within the home. Many policies today have been written to either exclude mold completely or to limit remediation to a very small amount.

“We often see damage from broken pipes that is discovered days after the initial loss occurred. By then, the water has saturated walls, insulation and floors,” said Gross. “If you don’t find all of the damage right away and it sits, then it can quickly turn into a mold problem which is obviously a lot more expensive to eradicate.”

What should homeowners do if they sustain water damage? First, they need to take steps to reduce or stop the flow of water.

“All policies require homeowners to mitigate their loss so homeowners should feel free to take steps to limit the water damage since it will not affect their final claim payment from the insurance company. Things like turning off the main water valve, extracting the standing water, and removing carpeting and furniture will help to dry out the house and limit damage. They should also take lots of pictures both before and after the items are removed so that they have proof of what happened and what was harmed in the process,” said Gross.

Once those immediate steps are taken, homeowners should call their insurance companies to report the damage. Depending on the extent of the damage, the homeowner should also consider hiring a professional public adjuster to help them navigate through the claims process. These licensed professionals are experts at completing complicated insurance claims paperwork, documenting lost and damaged property and also working with both remediation contractors and insurance adjusters to get the home renovated and repaired. Public adjusters also assist homeowners with getting expenses covered by insurance companies, such as temporary housing while repairs are being made or hiring security to prevent looting and vandalism to the property.

“Pipes burst frequently in cold weather and can cause extensive damage to a home,” said Gross. “We know that this experience can be very stressful to families and we’re here to help make the process of filing claims and repairing homes as quick and efficient as possible.”

To hire a professional public adjuster to assist you with your claim, call 800-445-1554.

ClientTestimonials

“…Prior to your involvement, it was apparent that we were at the mercy of the insurance company adjuster. Your office immediately took control of our claim, and the expertise of your team allowed our company to continue with our operation while you settled our claim in a timely manner. The end result far exceeds any settlement we could have received without you. …”

KANCOV INVESTMENT
Marc Lipshaw

“…Over the years you and your team have always been a tremendous help on all of our insurance claims. …Your expertise and knowledge of the retail furniture business combined with your expertise in handling insurance claims resulted in another favorable outcome for my company. Without your quick response and leadership the impact from this fire on our business could have been devastating. …”

GARDNER-WHITE FURNITURE
Steve Tronstein
President

“I want to take this opportunity to thank you for the excellent work you did in preparing and negotiating my claim. The process was too cumbersome and time consuming for me to handle. I had no idea on how difficult it would be just to get my adjuster to speak to me let alone provide me a fair settlement. When I hired you, everything started to happen. …”

ADVANTAGE GRAPHIC SUPPLIES LTD
Mazin Michaels
Ontario, Canada

“…It is without a moment’s hesitation that I recommend Globe Midwest. Their knowledge, influence and expertise allowed our family to successfully get through a most challenging time in our lives, both emotionally and financially.”

Arnold Tracht
Residential Claim

“Thanks for everything… This past year was filled with lessons learned. We would have never gotten through this without you. I don’t know how people do this without a private adjuster.”